


"When You're Gone"

by IcyJadeXOXO, Section Eight Entertainment (IcyJadeXOXO)



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-20
Updated: 2011-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/IcyJadeXOXO, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyJadeXOXO/pseuds/Section%20Eight%20Entertainment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal gets knocked unconscious by an old nemesis during a foiled rescue operation, and wakes up with an unusual ability of seeing someone unseen by others. Will he take advantage of this new found gift to rescue someone he cares about? Mostly Neal/Alex/Peter/Elizabeth/Moz, but almost all characters were briefly mentioned. [Very AU/OOC, with a hint of supernatural]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes : This is NOT, I repeat, NOT a part of "The Hunter Chronicles". Just thought I'd switch it up a bit. This is my first attempt in writing a supernatural-ish type of fiction, so please bear with me. (Blame the higher powers, a.k.a. PLOT BUNNIES! Arrgh!) It's not a horror fic, I promise. Good news is that this is a stand-alone story, so if you don't like it, then you don't have to worry about a sequel. But I really do hope that you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Disclaimer : I don't own any of the recognizable characters. They belong to Jeff Eastin, White Collar writers and USA Network.
> 
> Warning : As per usual, I must warn you that this story contains some amount of Alex Hunter. If you're allergic, then please look away. Also, there's a bit of hurt/whompage on this one. And, some SPOILERS from 2.16 (Under The Radar) and 3.10 (Countdown).

 

* * *

" _And in the night, I could be helpless_

 _I could be lonely, sleeping without you._

 _And in the day, everything's complex_

 _There's nothing simple, when I'm not around you."_

 **-The Cranberries** , "When You're Gone"

 

* * *

Neal Caffrey ran as fast as his feet could carry him in pursuit of an elusive outlaw. A fugitive who had left a trail of hurt and suffering to the people close to Neal. He knew he needed to do this. He needed to catch him and make him pay for all the crimes he had committed...for all the pain that he had caused, especially to the people who Neal cared about the most.

 _Time to prove to your friends that you're worth a damn, Caffrey!_ Neal thought to himself.

He opened the exit door of the condemned building, the meeting place that was agreed upon, to follow the man who went down the same route. All of a sudden, he felt his jaw connect to what seemed to be a big block of wood. As he fell to the ground, sparkly white flecks of light danced across his line of vision for a brief moment, before Neal closed his eyes and everything else faded to black.

Moments later, Neal staggered in between states of unconsciousness and awareness. He smelled something, a familiar scent of white gardenias. A fragrance that an old friend wore from time to time. She was there nearby, Neal could feel it. Then, she heard her familiar voice.

" _I told you to duck! Come on, Caffrey, wake up!"_  Neal heard her yell. Yes, it was definitely her, he was sure of it.

" _Alex?"_  Neal replied as he struggled to wake up.

" _No, it's me. It's Diana."_  Agent Barrigan answered, as she helped Neal sit up.  _"Keller got away!"_  she informed her.

Neal shook his head in attempt to clear the cobwebs. He didn't understand. He was so sure that it was Alex. His eyes wandered around in search for her, but his vision was blocked by other agents that were starting to arrive on the scene. One agent in particular was headed straight for him, with a mixture of anger and defeat in his eyes.

" _Damn it, Neal! That was our only shot! That was our only chance to get El back and we blew it!"_ Peter Burke shouted.

Neal regarded him with confusion, still dazed from the blow he received from earlier. Still looking for that old friend responsible for him regaining his consciousness. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to recall what had happened.

 _What went wrong?_  Neal asked himself.

He was supposed to give Keller the key to the storage facility, a place near the docks that Keller had chosen himself, which held the u-boat treasure inside. In exchange, Keller would tell them where to find Elizabeth Burke, Peter's beloved wife. That was their deal. But something went very wrong. Keller double-crossed them...as he'd been known to do...something they should have expected. In their desperation, they made a mistake of taking the criminal's word that he'd give Elizabeth back to them, unharmed. Keller took the key from Neal and then bolted.

" _Elizabeth will be joining Kate soon, Caffrey! Let that be in your conscience!"_  he remembered Keller yell to him as he ran away.

Neal shook his head. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He had a lot to answer for...to Mozzie, who came back and willingly surrendered his 'big score' in order to save Elizabeth; to Peter, who trusted Elizabeth's life into his hands; and most of all, to Elizabeth, who was still missing and more than likely still in danger. Neal would like to believe that she was still alive, contrary to what Keller alluded to earlier.

" _Careful, Boss!"_  Agent Jones' voice broke Neal out of his thoughtful trance.  _"He got hit in the head pretty badly."_  Jones continued.

" _And where the hell were you?"_  Peter asked the male agent.  _"You were supposed to be watching them! You were supposed to make sure that Keller didn't get away!"_  he said, his voiced raised.

" _It wasn't his fault, Boss. Keller pulled a fast one...on ALL of us."_  Diana tried to reason with him.

She was right, of course. It was nobody's fault. Keller called at the last minute and changed the plan. They met at the second floor, instead of the rooftop, which was the plan they agreed upon in the earlier conversation. And Keller warned them, no agents, or police, or any other authorities in the vicinity. Keller also warned them that it would be unwise to follow him, or to have officers guarding the warehouse, otherwise he would make sure that Elizabeth died a painful death. It was Keller's game, he held all the cards. They had no choice but to comply.

" _I'm sorry."_  Peter apologized in a slightly calmer tone.  _"I shouldn't be putting this on you."_  he said. He turned his gaze to still silent Neal.  _"Any of you."_  he added.  _"None of this is helping El."_  he told them.

Not too long after that, paramedics arrived to help Neal. They tried to check him up and asked him questions in order to figure out the extent of his injuries, but Neal found it very hard to focus. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head towards it, and that's when he saw her again.

" _Oh, thank God!"_  Alex said.  _"You're gonna be alright, Caffrey!"_ she assured him.

" _There you are!"_  Neal replied.  _"I thought I lost you."_  he told her.  _"What are you doing here anyway?"_  he asked.

Peter gave him a puzzled look and followed his gaze.  _"Neal, there's no one there."_ he told him, getting worried. Neal just looked at him with confusion.

" _Alright, we better take him to the hospital, just to be on the safe side."_  one of the paramedics said to them. They proceeded to help him to the ambulance.

" _Diana, go with him, please. I can't leave here just yet."_  Peter ordered the female agent.

Neal looked at Alex as he was being helped inside the ambulance. She stared back at him in shock. _"Caffrey...you can see me? Can you hear me?"_  he heard her ask. Before Neal could answer, the paramedics close the ambulance door and drove away.

* * *

At the hospital, Neal sat up on his bed, as he strained to see the doctor who was speaking with Diana. The doctor told him earlier that he suffered from a mild concussion, which would probably explain why he was so confused earlier. He wondered what was taking so long. He wanted to get the hell out of there. Peter needs him. Elizabeth needs them. They can't afford to waste any more time.

Then she appeared again. There she was, clear as day, standing by his bedside. She was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a charcoal cotton tunic underneath her feather grey, hooded asymmetrical cardigan sweater. She wore her favourite thigh-high boots and the multi-layered silver necklace from the Almiranta treasure that she saved as a keepsake. She stood there silently and watched him, with a beautiful smile on her face.

" _Hello, stranger."_  she greeted Neal.

" _A-are you for real?"_  Neal asked her with hesitation.

Alex's smile grew wider, but was quickly replaced by a frown.  _"I don't know."_  she replied.  _"Am I?"_  she asked him.

" _I don't understand, Alex. You just disappeared after we were rescued from Adler. You've been gone for quite a while...now you're back. I don't get it. Where were you?"_ he asked her.  _"What are you doing here? Are you here to help? Is that why you're back?"_  Neal continued with his rapid fire questions.

" _Ssshhh!"_  she silenced him.  _"I don't know the answers to that."_  she replied.  _"Neal...you're the only one who can see me. Don't tell anyone that...the psych ward is only a few floors up, if you catch my drift."_ she warned him.

Neal's head began to pound again.  _"Are you kidding me? Alex, I don't-"_  he tried to say before Alex interrupted him.

" _Neal, I can't tell you what happened to me because I don't know...I don't remember. Last thing I can recall was when I was back at the FBI building. We were talking outside Agent Burke's office. Then, I kissed you goodbye. I draw a blank to anything that happened after that."_  she explained to him, her face filled with worry.

" _You can't remember where you were?"_  Neal asked.

" _No, I can't. There are gaps in my memory."_  she replied. She tried to speak again, but then hesitated.

" _What? There's more. What is it, Alex?"_ Neal pressed.

" _Neal...I think-"_  she tried to respond. She paused for a while before speaking again.  _"Neal, I think I died."_  she finally admitted to him.

" _That's not funny, Alex!"_  Neal said.

" _Who's laughing?"_ she asked him.

Before Neal could reply, Diana came back with some information.  _"Good news...you're free to go."_  she told him.  _"I've convinced the doctor that it would be safer for the nurses if you went home tonight. But I had to promise her that I'll bring you back here if you experience any pain or nausea."_  she added.

" _Thanks, Diana."_  Neal said. He looked to where Alex was earlier and saw that she had disappeared again. He rubbed both of his eyes and sighed.

" _You okay?"_  Diana asked him.

Neal looked at her.  _"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."_  he answered.  _I must be losing my mind!_ he thought to himself.  _"I just need to get out of here."_  he said out loud.

The nurse came by his room moments later to have him sign the release form, and he was out of the hospital soon after.

* * *

Diana wanted to take him back to his apartment at June's mansion, but Neal insisted that she drop him off at the office. Peter needed him. Neal found his partner in his office, sorting out paper work. Peter looked up and was surprised to see him.

" _What are you doing here?"_  Peter asked him.

" _The doctor said that I was free to go."_ Neal answered.  _"You know me, I have a pretty hard head."_  he added. He saw that Peter wasn't exactly in the mood to exchange pleasantries at the moment, given the circumstances.  _"What's the latest?"_  Neal asked his friend.

Peter took his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.  _"We had all of our available agents scour every inch of that warehouse. No sign of Keller, the treasure, or Elizabeth, for that matter."_ he replied. He looked at Neal straight in the eye.  _"Neal, he's gone. He's the only one who can lead us to El, and he's gone. Just vanished. How the hell did he do that?_ " he asked his younger friend, the tone of desperation clearly audible in his voice.

" _We'll figure it out, I promise. We WILL find Elizabeth! Don't lose hope just yet."_  Neal assured him.

He observed at his friend. Peter looked tired and defeated. Neal doubted that he had gotten any sleep at all within the past 48 hours.  _48 hours!_  he thought. It had been 48 hours since Elizabeth was abducted. They say that those were the most crucial hours during a kidnapping. The first 48 hours could make a huge difference. That amount of time that passed could determine if the victim was still alive. Neal shuddered to think what would happen to Peter if they didn't rescue Elizabeth in time.

" _It's past 1AM. You should go home, Peter. Get some rest. You're no good to anyone like this."_  Neal told him.

" _Now I know..."_  Peter whispered.

" _Know what, Peter?"_  Neal asked.

" _Now I know, what it must have been like for you when Kate disappeared."_  Peter replied.

" _Peter-"_  Neal began to say.

" _I heard him...through the comms. He said that El will be joining Kate soon. Neal, do you think-"_  Peter couldn't finish the question.

" _Keller's just messing with our heads, Peter. Elizabeth is still alive. We WILL find her. You have my word."_  Neal reassured him.  _"Now, go home."_  he told him.

" _I can't."_  Peter answered.  _"I have no home."_  he said. He looked Neal again.  _"It's just a house now. Elizabeth...she's my home. She's my heart."_  he told him, his eyes welling up with tears.  _"I only told El this...I start missing her the moment she's out of the room. It may sound mushy to others, but I adore my wife. I want her face to be the last thing I see at night before I sleep, and the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up. I don't know what I'd do if I lose her."_  he told him, as he wiped the tears in his eyes.  _"So tell me, Neal...how am I supposed to go home knowing that Elizabeth is not there?"_  he asked.  _"No. I'm not setting my foot back to that house, not until I have Elizabeth with me."_  he said firmly.  _"You go home. It's been a long night. I'll need you tomorrow."_  he ordered his friend.

" _Call me if you need anything."_  Neal told him, before leaving him alone in his office.

* * *

Neal went back to his apartment, with hopes that he could get at least a few hours of rest. He was tired and the pain in his head was starting to come back. He didn't even bother to change his clothes, he just got in bed with his work clothes on. Hard as he tried, as tired as he was, he couldn't sleep. Not with everything that was nagging on his brain. Then he remembered, back at the hospital.

" _Alex?"_  he whispered.  _"Where are you now?"_  Neal sighed when got no answer. He felt as if he was losing his mind for even considering it. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to clear his head. Then, he smelled it again, right there in bed, lying next to him. That familiar scent of white gardenias. He smiled, for he knew who it was.

He turned to his side and opened his eyes. There he saw her, staring back at him.  _"I'm right here with you, Caffrey."_  Alex replied, with that beautiful smile on her face.  _"I've been with you for a while now. Only tonight was the_ _first time anyone saw me."_  she informed him.

Neal just observed her quietly. The smile never left his lips, but it didn't reach his beautiful blue eyes either. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel about this. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he believed what he was seeing at the moment. All the feelings of frustration, guilt, and helplessness are bundled up inside of him, and he didn't know how to deal with that.

" _Sweet shit in a bucket, Caffrey! Say something."_ Alex told him, interrupting his thoughts.  _"You're boring me to death, and I'm already dead!"_  she joked.  _"You look like crap!"_  she said as she stared at him.

" _I feel like crap."_  Neal replied.

" _Talk to me."_ Alex said.  _"Why so sad?"_  she asked him.

" _Where do I start? Let's see...Elizabeth is in danger, Peter is in his own personal_ _hell, Mozzie is still on the warpath, and you're in the afterlife! Those enough reasons for you?"_  Neal replied.

There was a brief pause before Alex spoke.  _"Mozzie is Mozzie. You've never had a more loyal friend than him. He could never stay angry with you for too long, you know that"_  she assured him.  _"As for me, I don't recall you ever walking on water, or turning it into wine for that matter. So I highly doubt that you can raise people back from the dead. Don't worry about me, Neal. I'm good for now."_  she told him.

" _Okay...but what about-"_  Neal started to ask.

" _Peter and Elizabeth?"_  she finished for him.  _"Well, I suppose you could help Peter find his wife."_  she answered.

" _That's what I've been doing!"_  Neal told her.  _"I'm doing my best to help him, but this whole thing is just one big dead end after another."_  he said, quite frustrated.

" _Why are you really angry, Neal?"_  Alex asked.

" _Because, this...all of it...it's my fault!"_  Neal answered.  _"I'm the one who has a history with Keller, and now, innocent people like Peter and Elizabeth are caught in the middle."_  he added.

" _We all have our own past sins to deal with, Neal. I'm the one who told you about the music box and the key to the treasure. Mozzie's the one who stole the treasure from the warehouse. So you see, you don't have the monopoly with guilt, Caffrey. We all had a hand in this."_  she explained.  _"The Burkes, they knew that you were flawed when they chose to be your friend."_ she continued.

" _They didn't deserve to be punished for being my friends! It's not fair!"_  Neal snapped.

" _Since when did the world start being fair, Neal? If the world was fair, you'd be married to Kate by now. If the world was fair, Mozzie would have never grown up_ _in foster care. If the world was fair, I'd still be alive right now. Nobody deserves their lot in life. Life isn't fair, Caffrey. We love the ones who hurt us...we hurt the ones who love us. But you lamenting over all of this isn't helping Peter or his wife."_ Alex replied.

" _What am I suppose to do then?"_  Neal asked her.

" _You're going to help save Elizabeth Burke."_  Alex simply answered.

" _You make it sound so easy!"_  Neal scoffed.  _"What's next after that?"_  he asked.

" _You're going to apologize to them."_ she replied.

" _Apologize?"_  he asked.

" _Yes...it means telling them that you're sorry. I know that it's a foreign concept to someone like the great Neal Caffrey, but give it a shot anyway. You might like the feeling afterwards."_  she mocked him.

" _What good would that do when the damage is already done?"_  he asked again.

" _Well, it could help repair your friendship with them."_  she answered.  _"You see, Caffrey, saying you're sorry isn't a sign of weakness. Sometimes, apologizing to people, even when you think it's too late, even when you believe that it's pointless...you still do it because it needs to be done. You apologize because you hurt them. It's not an empty gesture. It means that you felt bad for causing them pain...because they are THAT important to you."_  she tried to make him understand.  _"And...if the Burkes are really as great as you make them seem to be, then they will forgive you."_ she added

Neal just let it all sink in, everything that she said.  _"I don't think that I've ever apologized to anyone before and really meant it."_  he confessed.

" _I know."_  she told him.  _"First time for everything, right?"_  she asked.

Neal looked at her.  _"When did you become so smart?"_  he teased her.

" _Wisdom of the dead."_  she replied with a weak smile.

Neal mustered up the courage to ask.  _"Alex, if you don't mind me asking...how did you die?"_  he inquired.

" _I told you, I don't remember."_  she answered.  _"All I remember after our last meeting was that I was in a great deal of pain...and then it stopped. When I opened my eyes, I was here. I've been staying here most of the time."_  Alex revealed to him.

It suddenly hit him. She had been there a while, possibly for months since she disappeared.  _"Alex...were you here when Sara and I...?"_  he let his voice trail off.

" _No!"_ she shouted.  _"Ewwww! God, no! Why would you even think that I'd wanna see that?"_  she replied. " _No. Every time Sara shows up, I take it as my cue to leave. That's when I usually go out and mingle with the other ghosts of New York City."_ she told him.

" _You see other ghosts?"_  Neal asked.

" _Restless city like this, you think I'm the only one haunting the streets?"_  she asked rhetorically.  _"I try to stay away from Lower Manhattan as much as I can. Too sad because of the 9/11 victims. But yeah...there are lots of interesting spirits out there."_  she said.

" _Oh yeah? Like who?"_  Neal asked, quite amused.

" _Okay, for starters...Edgar Allan Poe at Morningside Heights in the Upper West Side, reciting 'The Raven', word for word."_  she told him. She saw that he was impressed.  _"Well, at least, he claimed that he was Poe. This is New York, after all. He could have just been the ghost of some out of work actor."_ she chuckled.

" _Anyone else?"_  Neal asked.

" _Oh! You remember that urban myth about the 'Ghost in the F-Train' back in the_ _East Village subway? He's real. I've met him."_ she said.

" _You're shitting me!"_  Neal exclaimed.

" _I shit you not! His name is Vincent, and he died when he got stoned and then played chicken with the train afterwards. Did you know...if you died while you're stoned, you're pretty much stoned for all eternity? 'Cause that's how Vincent is now...not a coherent conversationalist, that one!"_  she added.

" _Please, tell me more."_  Neal urged her. It was funny...but hearing Alex speak, it relaxed him.

" _Okay...there's this ghost. His name is Timothy. Every night, at 6pm on the dot, right there in Strawberry Fields Park in the middle of the 'IMAGINE' mosaic...he takes out his violin and plays the most beautiful version of Bach's 'Chaconne' for Solo Violin from Partita in D Minor. That man's got some serious talent!"_ she told him.

" _Hmmm."_  he said, while waiting for her to continue.

" _You can ask, you know. It's okay."_ she said after a brief pause.

" _Do you see her? Is Kate still here?"_  Neal asked.

Alex smiled.  _"She's lying right there next to you."_  she replied.  _"She said that if you close your eyes and wish really, really, really hard, then maybe we could have that threesome you've always fantasized about."_  she chuckled.

Neal turned to his other side to look, then turned back again to face Alex and shook his head. He couldn't believe that he let Alex con him like that.  _"That wasn't very nice."_  he told her.

" _I'm not nice."_  Alex replied.  _"Look at your beady little eyes!"_  she said.

" _I can't see my beady little eyes."_ he answered.

There was another brief pause, and then Alex spoke.  _"No, Neal, I haven't seen Kate. I think it's safe to assume that she's moved on. And I think she wants you to do the same."_ she told him.

" _Is that what you would want me to do, Alex? Move on?"_  he pressed.

" _Oh, hell no!"_  she replied.  _"I'd want you to stay miserable for the rest of your life. Maybe turn into a grouchy old bastard as you spend the remainder of your days, WITH Mozzie."_  she giggled.  _"Just kidding...of course, I'd want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me."_  she confessed.

Neal smiled.  _"Thank you."_  he said. He realized that Alex had gone silent.  _"What is it?"_  he asked.

" _I saw Hale...before he moved on, I saw him. He was angry at first, but then he had this huge smile on his face once he saw me. I tried to go with him, but I couldn't. Something's preventing me from moving on...it's like I'm attached here. I don't understand."_  she said.

" _We'll figure it out."_  he assured her.

" _I see Byron, all the time."_  she revealed.

" _Byron? June's Byron?"_  Neal asked.

" _No, Lord Byron!"_  she scoffed.  _"Yes, June's Byron!"_  she answered.  _"He's with her, every minute...every second of the day. Never leaves her side. I asked him once, why he had so much devotion. He said that because love doesn't have to end in 'Till death do us part'."_ she told him, as she looked him in the eye. " _He talks to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. He stays with her, even though she doesn't know he's there."_ Alex told him.

" _How do you know that she can't hear him? Maybe she knows that he's there. I can hear you. I can see you."_ Neal pointed out.

" _Yeah, but you're special, Caffrey."_  she answered.

" _Yeah, right. I feel really special, alright. Gifted, even."_  Neal replied sarcastically.

Alex looked at him, visibly hurt.  _"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here._ _Didn't mean to be so chatty. It's just that it's been a while since I've had a conversation with a living human being. I didn't realize that I was disturbing you. I should go."_  she said.

" _No, Alex, wait! I didn't mean-"_  Neal tried to stop her, but she already disappeared, leaving him all alone in his bed, in his apartment.

* * *

Neal tossed and turned for the remainder of the night. He waited for Alex to come back, but she never did. Finally, when daybreak came, he gave up on sleep, and proceeded to get ready for work. He was getting dressed when he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Mozzie on the other side.

" _No Keller, no treasure, and more importantly, no Mrs. Suit! I hope you have a plan, because I'm all out of ideas."_  Mozzie told him, as he came in without an invitation.

" _Good morning to you too, Moz."_ Neal greeted him.  _"We are doing the best we can to find Elizabeth, that I can assure you."_  he said.

" _What are you doing here then? Shouldn't you be with the Suit right now...strategizing?"_  Mozzie asked sarcastically.  _"I can't believe this! We don't have time to waste! Who knows what Keller is doing to Mrs. Suit right now!"_  he added.

Neal was about to answer but was interrupted by a female voice.  _"Oh, he gets ever so cranky this early in the morning! I think he needs more roughage in his diet."_  Alex said, appearing out of nowhere yet again. She walked towards Mozzie.

" _Alex!"_  Neal said, glad to see her return.

" _Alex? Have you heard from Alex?_ Mozzie asked.

" _I have..."_  Neal hesitated.  _"She's here. Moz. She's...standing right next to you."_ he said to Mozzie, who looked puzzled. He paused for a while.  _"She's a ghost, Moz!"_  he finally said.

" _Riiight! Don't you usually have to be very dead to be a ghost, Neal?"_ he said, then saw the reaction on Neal's face.  _"That's not funny!"_  Mozzie told him.

" _Who's laughing?"_  Neal asked.

" _Hey! Stop stealing my lines!"_ Alex scolded Neal. She leaned closer to Mozzie and blew air on his ear.

" _She's blowing on your ear right now."_ Neal told him.

Mozzie felt it. It was like going out in the middle of a snowstorm without his ear muffs on. Still, he didn't seem convinced.  _"Neal...if you really can see ghosts, don't you think that you would've seen Kate by now? I mean, if there was anyone you're dying to see again, it would be Kate, not Alex!"_  Mozzie pointed out.

" _Ouch! Hurtful!"_  Alex exclaimed.  _"If only I could, I would kick you where the sun don't shine right about now!"_  she said.

Neal ignored her.  _"Look, Moz, I can't see ghosts...I see a ghost. I can only see Alex."_  he told his friend.

" _Prove it!"_  Mozzie challenged him.

" _Oh, I like this part!"_ Alex said. She turned to Neal.  _"Tell him I said 'Tootles'!"_  she told him.

" _What the hell does that mean?"_  Neal asked her.

" _Just tell him I said 'Tootles'!"_ she urged Neal.

" _She said to tell you' Tootles'!"_  Neal said to Mozzie. He turned to Alex.  _"There, you happy now?"_  he asked her.

Seconds later, Mozzie's face turned white.  _"Heilige_ _s_ _cheiße_ _!"_  he exclaimed.  _"Alex?"_  he looked around for her.

" _Wait, what does 'Tootles' mean?"_  Neal asked them.

" _He can't tell you."_  Alex answered.

" _I can't tell you."_  Mozzie answered, almost at the same time.

" _Why not?"_  Neal asked again.

" _Because it's code...and it's about you."_  Alex replied with a mischievous smile.

" _What do you mean that it's about me?"_  Neal pressed.

" _Okay, Alex...you can shut up now!"_  Mozzie said.

" _Oh, so now he believes that I'm here!"_  Alex scoffed. She looked at Neal.  _"Relax! What's a little secret between friends, right?"_  she said.  _"I mean, I've spent my entire adult life searching for that u-boat treasure, and you two kept it as a secret from me."_ she pointed out.  _"Am I bothered?"_  she asked.

" _She's still pretty pissed that you stole the treasure she worked hard to try finding."_  Neal told Mozzie.

" _I'm a thief...I steal pretty things!"_  Mozzie replied.  _"Besides, I gave it back! That treasure is a curse disguised as a gift! I don't want it...I just want Mrs. Suit back!"_  he added.

" _Oooh! About that...I've got something!"_ Alex reported.

" _Please tell me you know where Elizabeth is!"_  Neal pleaded.

" _No, I'm sorry...but I know where Keller is! Or at least, where he's headed."_  Alex told him.

" _What is she saying, Neal?"_ Mozzie asked.

" _Shhh! Hold on, Moz..."_  Neal answered.  _"Please, continue."_  Neal urged Alex.

" _Well, he was at that heliport on West 30_ _th_ _St. earlier...they left at about 4:30 in the morning. He boarded a private chopper, a Bell 206B3 Jetranger rotorcraft, license HLP-1522. He's supposed to catch a connecting flight en route to Monte Carlo."_ she stated, while Neal wrote all the information down.

" _No, no, no! He has friends in Monte Carlo that can help him disappear! We'll never find him! Anything else?"_  Neal asked.

" _Before he boarded, he was talking on his cellphone with some guy named Anton...that's it. That's all I've got."_  Alex said.

" _Anton? No last name? Great! Another dead end. We're not any closer to finding Elizabeth...we need to know where Keller is keeping her!"_  Neal yelled, frustratedly.

" _You think I don't know that? I'm trying to help, Neal...for once, you can say something nice."_  Alex whispered, before disappearing into thin air.

" _Alex, wait!"_  Neal tried to call her back, but she didn't reappear.

" _She gone?"_  Mozzie asked. He saw Neal nodded.  _"Did she tell you how she died?"_  Mozzie asked again.

" _No. She said that she doesn't remember."_  Neal answered.

" _Understandable. When I woke up from my coma, after I got shot, I couldn't remember anything either. It's like, I blocked it out of my head, it was too painful. Anyway, it must be the same for her. How she died...it must have been too traumatic for her to remember."_  Mozzie told him.

Neal lowered his head in shame. He may be the one who could see and hear Alex, but it was Mozzie who understood her and related to her more. Finally, he spoke.  _"I gotta go, Moz."_  he said.  _"I have to tell Peter about this information."_ he added, heading for the door.

" _Alright. Keep me posted. And tell the Suit...tell Peter to call me if he needs my help."_  Mozzie told him, before Neal left the apartment.

* * *

~ **END OF CHAPTER ONE** ~


	2. CHAPTER TWO

At the FBI's White Collar office, Peter and the Harvard crew were assembled at the conference room. It was clear that none of them had gotten any sleep either. Peter saw Neal arrive and nodded at him. Neal sat down next to him, and proceeded to tell him about what Alex found out.

" _A friend of mine has some information about Keller."_ Neal started.  _"He boarded a private chopper that left West 30_ _th_ _heliport at about 4:30am earlier. It was a Bell 206B3 Jetranger rotorcraft, license HLP-1522. He was headed for a connecting flight en route to Monte Carlo. Before he left, he was talking on the phone to some guy named Anton. That's all I have, Peter. I know it isn't much-"_ Neal told his partner.

" _Are you kidding me, Neal? This was more information than what we had last_ _night!"_ Peter exclaimed.

He turned to the Harvard crew with renewed hope, and started barking orders.  _"Alright, I want all CCTV footage from all directions leading to West 30_ _th_ _heliport, from midnight till 5am. If you see anyone, I mean anyone, do a background check on them. See if we can retrace their steps...maybe it will lead us to where Keller is keeping my wife! Go!"_  Peter ordered, before everyone scattered to do their assignments.

Less than an hour later, Diana reported back to them.  _"Boss, I called in a favor to check on Keller's travel plans. He boarded his connecting flight...a private plane from Logan International headed to Monaco Airport in Monte Carlo. The weird thing is, less than an hour after the plane took off, the aircraft disappeared on the radar. Just vanished...he's GONE." she informed them. "Sorry, sir."_ Diana apologized.

Peter brushed his hands on his face in frustration.  _"It's alright, Diana. Our main focus at the moment is finding El. We'll worry about Keller later."_  he told her.

Moments later, Jones walked in, with a folder in his hand.  _"I got something!"_  he said.  _"I had our tech experts pull up all CCTV footage from the area, like you said. We have a screenshot of Keller talking to someone, just a few blocks from the heliport."_  Jones told them as he showed them a blown up photo of Keller and an unknown man.  _"This guy with Keller, we ran a facial of him on the FBI black book and we got a hit."_  he said.

" _Who is he?"_  Peter asked.

" _His name is Marcus Von Amberg...a.k.a. 'Frederick Zulevich'; a.k.a. 'ANTON Dubov'; a.k.a. 'Hahns Rietcheck'. I'm assuming that he's the 'Anton' that Keller was talking to on the phone."_  Jones answered, as he pulled out another photo. This time, it was a clearer image of Von Amberg, a photo from an old mug shot.

" _Wait a minute...Hahns Rietcheck?"_  Neal asked, as he looked at the photo. The name sounded familiar.  _"He was Adler's head of security. He's a ruthless mercenary. I've seen his work...he'll do anything for the right price."_ he informed them.

There was a knock on the door, then Agent Blake came in.  _"Sir, I have a recording of that phone conversation between Keller and Von Amberg."_  Blake reported, as he walked towards Peter and the rest of the group.

" _Play it."_  Peter ordered him. Blake did as ordered.

" _I'm on board now. Make sure that you dispose of Burke's wife, on the terms we have agreed upon."_  It was Keller's voice.

" _Consider it done. Just remember my compensation."_ Rietcheck/Von Amberg replied.

" _I already wired the money to your account. I added more...consider it a bonus for a job well done. Use it to make yourself disappear as soon as possible."_  Keller told him, before hanging up.

After listening to the recording, Peter looked at his team.  _"I want that photo circulated to all authorities. I want an all points bulletin on that man! Be on the look out on every ports of exit...cars, cabs, bus terminal, ferries, airports, all of it. I want this man found! He's the only one who knows where my wife is!"_  he ordered.

Neal was about to say something, but Peter interrupted him.  _"Neal, do me a favor...thank your friend for me. If it weren't for that information you had, we never would have had this lead."_  Peter said. _"Also, see if you can find anything more about this Rietcheck guy from your contacts."_  Peter told him, before leaving the room.

After everyone had left the room, Neal looked around and saw that he was alone. Still, he tried to contact his 'friend'.  _"Alex? Did you hear that? Peter thanked you. I should have thanked you too."_ he said. _"I'm sorry...I mean it. I really am."_  he added, after a brief pause.  _"Alex? Are you there?"_  he asked.  _"Please, come back."_  Neal whispered.

Once convinced that Alex wasn't in the room with him, Neal gave up. He tried to call Mozzie to update him and ask for his help, but he wasn't answering his phone. Frustrated, Neal left the office and headed out of the building.

* * *

Neal went to his apartment first, to see if either Alex or Mozzie were still there, but found no one. He headed for Mozzie's usual haunts...his favourite park bench, the diner he frequented, the library, the coffee shop, even June's book club...but Neal couldn't find him. Finally, Neal went to Mozzie's old place, one last ditch effort to find his friend.

Neal was about to knock on the door, when he saw that it was open. Inside, he could hear Mozzie's voice. But he wasn't alone...Alex was with him. And they were singing together. He went inside without an invitation, and saw Mozzie in the kitchen, unpacking...Alex was watching him, both of them still belting a tune out loud in unison.

" _Just call me angel of the morning, ANGEL._

 _Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby._

 _Just call me angel of the morning, ANGEL,_

 _Then slowly turn away,_

 _I won't beg you to stay...with me,_

 _Through the tears of the day,_

 _Of the years, baby, baby, baby..."_

Neal smiled while he observed the two. Under different circumstances, he would have laughed and joined them in singing, but they have more pressing matters at hand. He cleared his throat and turned to Alex.

" _What are you doing here?"_  Neal asked her.

" _Well, I live here...what's your excuse?"_  It was Mozzie who answered, looking puzzled.

" _I was talking to Alex."_  Neal replied.

" _I was helping Mozzie move back in...now that he doesn't have the treasure, he has every reason to stay in town."_  Alex answered.  _"Hey, Neal...you think if you bonked him in the head, he'll be able to see me and hear me too?"_  she asked. _"Maybe then, I can stop pestering you and just hang out here instead. This place could sure use a woman's touch."_  she said.

" _Alex...about earlier, I-"_  Neal began to tell her.

" _I was giving you some space, Caffrey!"_  she snapped at him.

" _Yeah, bad time to give me space...I needed you earlier."_  Neal admitted.

Alex's mood perked up when she heard what he said.  _"You needed me?"_  she asked Neal.

" _Yeah."_  Neal answered.

" _Hold up! Wait a minute!"_  Mozzie piped in.  _"Alex is here?"_  he asked.

" _Yeah...you just did the 'Angel of the Morning' duet with her."_  Neal answered.

" _We were singing 'Queen' songs earlier!"_  Alex told Neal, with a sheepish smile on her face.

" _ALEX!"_  Mozzie shouted.  _"Give it back!"_  he ordered her.

" _Give what back?"_  Neal asked.

Mozzie ignored him.  _"Where is it, Alex?"_  he asked her.

Alex tried to look all innocent, but took pity on Mozzie.  _"Top shelf, to the left."_  she answered.

" _She said top shelf, to the left._ " Neal told Mozzie.

" _Well, how the hell am I going to reach that?"_  Mozzie asked.

" _You should have thought of that before you leased this place!"_  Alex answered. _"Honestly, Mozzie...why would you even have cupboards you're not tall enough to reach?"_ she asked.

Neal shook his head and opened the cupboard Alex pointed to. He reached inside to find what Mozzie was looking for.  _"You were all upset over a toy?"_  Neal asked him.

" _Toy?"_  Mozzie repeated.  _"Neal...this is an original rocket-firing 'Boba Fett' action figure. It's worth £15,000!"_  he told his friend.

" _NERD!"_ Alex said. She turned to Neal.  _"Now...what did YOU need?"_  she asked him.

Neal updated both Alex and Mozzie on everything that the FBI have found out based on the information Alex gave Neal. He told them that the man who has Elizabeth was the same guy who used to work as Vincent Adler's lead henchman, Hahns Rietcheck.

" _Now all we need to do is find Rietcheck and make him tell us where Elizabeth is."_  Neal told them.

" _Well...he's gonna need fake documentation if he wants to leave town. I'll go ask around the usual network of forgers, see what they know."_  Mozzie offered.

" _Ask Big Joe...he still owes me a favor."_  Alex said.

" _Who the hell is 'Big Joe'?"_  Neal asked her.

Mozzie looked at Neal at the mention of the name.  _"Big Joe! That's right! The Sicilian Specialist, Giuseppe Raguza...otherwise known as Big Joe Ragu. He's_ _amongst the elite...Jack of ALL trades, master of ALL! If Rietcheck wants that fake passport done quickly, quietly and efficiently, Big Joe is the guy he'll go to!"_  Mozzie informed him.

" _Give him a call and drop Alex's name...he owes her a favor."_  Neal told Mozzie. He turned to face Alex after Mozzie had left the room. _"Do I even wanna know what kind of dealings you've had with a guy named 'Big Joe'?"_  Neal asked her.

" _Probably not."_  Alex answered, with a mischievous grin on her face.

A few minutes later, Mozzie return with some news.  _"Big Joe came through! He said that Rietcheck was supposed to pick up his new 'paper work' this afternoon. They're supposed to make the merchandize exchange at 3pm, which is a little over an hour from now. Meeting place is the Conservatory Garden at Central Park."_  Mozzie informed them.  _"Neal, you better go and tell the Suit!"_  Mozzie said.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Peter had a team of agents in civilian clothing, assembled and scattered all over Central Park. Neal was at the Conservatory Garden, wearing a pair of jeans, dark grey t-shirt and a leather jacket. He disguised himself by wearing a baseball cap and a pair of dark glasses. Peter was waiting in the car not too far away, watching Neal and waiting to make the 'exchange'.

They were early, Rietcheck still was nowhere to be seen. Neal, along with the team of undercover agents with him in The Garden, tried to blend in with the a small crowd of tourists and locals, mostly musicians and artists intermingled with couples out on a date. Neal saw Alex appear not too far away from him, near one of the park benches. She was listening to a Brazuca musician playing her guitar and singing a song.

" _...Avião sem asa, fogueira sem brasa_

 _Sou eu assim sem você_

 _Futebol sem bola, Piu-Piu sem Frajola_

 _Sou eu assim sem você._

 _Por que é que tem que ser assim?_

 _Se o meu desejo não tem fim_

 _Eu te quero a todo instante_

 _Nem mil alto-falantes_

 _Vão poder falar por mim..."_

Neal went closer to where Alex was, and listened to her as she sang along to the song. Alex turned to face him and smiled.  _"I love this song. It's basically about this woman who suffers from loneliness because she can't bear being away from the man she loves. She compares herself, without him, as something like an airplane without wings; a bonfire without hot coals; soccer without a ball; Tweety without Sylvester; a love without kisses; a circus without a clown; Romeo without Juliet..."_  she explained to Neal, who was looking at her with great amusement.  _"What? I know, it sounds corny. A lot gets lost in translation, but still...I think it's sweet."_  she told him.

" _It's not that."_  Neal said.  _"It's just that you keep surprising me. I didn't know_ _that you spoke Portuguese. You never told me."_  he added.

" _You never bothered to ask."_  Alex replied.  _"Sharing wasn't exactly one of our strong suits. It's not what we do."_ she reminded him.

" _That's a shame. I would've liked to get to know you well."_  Neal admitted.

" _And I would've made sure that you never got bored."_ Alex replied, before walking away.

Neal followed her, and saw that she was observing a couple of teenagers making out in one of the park benches. Alex's eyes were filled with sorrow.  _"You okay, Alex?"_  Neal asked.

" _Mmmhmm."_  Alex replied. After a brief pause, she spoke again.  _"Do you remember my friend, Rex?"_ she asked Neal.

Neal thought about it for a moment before he nodded.  _"Yeah, Rex Horton. I remember him. He used to be one of your partners-in-crime every once in a while, when you pulled scams. You told me that the two of you grew up together in Brooklyn. Why do you ask?"_  Neal inquired.

" _He was my first kiss."_  Alex answered. She looked at Neal.  _"It was after my parents' funeral...I was thirteen. We took the ferry to go back home. He saw that I couldn't stop crying...so he touched my face, leaned closer, and gave my a kiss. It was gentle...sweet...comforting."_  she revealed to Neal.

" _Why are you telling me this, Alex?"_ Neal asked.

" _You were my last."_  Alex replied. She saw that Neal looked confused.  _"That day when we were rescued from Adler...when you kissed me, that was my last kiss. A kiss before dying..."_ she let her voice trail off. She turned her head away from the couple that were kissing.

" _If it makes any difference, I am honored to be your last."_  Neal told her.

" _I wish I could get that back. I wish I could feel like that again."_  Alex said, as she faced Neal.  _"Hah!"_  she scoffed.  _"Me and my wishes! I don't wish for the easy stuff, do I? I always gotta wish for huge things. Always want to have the ambitious things...fantasies that are out of my reach."_  she sighed, defeated.

" _Alex...I-"_  Neal tried to say, before Alex walked away.

" _I can't stand this, Caffrey! Not knowing..."_ Alex interrupted him.  _"I don't get it! I can remember everything else. First pet, first kiss, first date, first love, first grift...favourite color, favourite band, favourite song, favourite con! I can remember foreign languages! Hell, I remember my high school locker combination! How is it that I can't remember how I was killed?"_  Alex asked him.

" _Killed?"_  Neal asked.

" _What?"_  Alex said.

" _You said KILLED? Before, you only said DIED. Maybe you are starting to remember, Alex."_  Neal pointed out.

" _Neal!"_  Peter's voice interrupted their conversation.  _"FOCUS! Who the hell are you talking to anyway?"_  he asked through the radio.

Before he had a chance to answer, Neal heard Jones' voice in his earpiece.  _"Caffrey, your 12 o'clock!"_  he alerted him.

Neal looked ahead and saw Rietcheck walking towards his direction. Rietcheck saw Neal and recognized him. He immediately turned around and ran away. Neal quickly sprinted after him, his anger rising during the chase. Neal leaped up high and landed on Rietcheck. Both men fell to the ground, Rietcheck flat on his face and Neal on top of him. They struggled for a bit, as the agents ran towards them. Neal turned Rietcheck's body to face him, both of them still on the ground.

It was then that Alex got a closer look on his face and recognized him.  _"Oh my God! Neal! That's him! He's the one who killed me!"_ she revealed.

Neal's anger continued to rise. With all of his strength, he began to punch Rietcheck in the face repeatedly. Rietcheck tried to fight back, but it was useless. Neal, lost in a haze of fury, screamed in anger while he continuously pummeled Rietcheck's head with his fists. It was Peter's voice who snapped him back to the present.

" _Neal! Stop! Stop that, right now!"_  Peter ordered him, as he pulled his friend off of Rietcheck. He turned Neal around to face him.  _"Enough! We still need to question him. And believe me, if he doesn't tell us where Elizabeth is, I will personally beat him to death myself!"_  Peter warned Rietcheck, his tone menacing. They watched as the bloodied Rietcheck was led away by Diana and Jones to bring him in for questioning.

* * *

At the FBI office, Rietcheck was brought to the interrogation room. Special Agent Reese Hughes warned Peter to recuse himself from the case on grounds that he's the victim's husband, but Peter wouldn't listen. He insisted on being the one to question Rietcheck himself. He will face whatever the consequences of his actions were, after Elizabeth is found. Ignoring Hughes' advice, he went inside to interrogation room. Hughes ordered Diana to go with him.

Rietcheck had a smug look on his face when he saw Peter.  _"Can anyone tell_ _me what this is about?"_  he asked.

" _This is about you kidnapping my wife."_  Peter answered, trying his best to remain calm.

" _Your partner broke my fucking nose!"_  Rietcheck complained. He looked to Diana for sympathy, but found none.

" _You would've been a lot worse if it was HIM who caught up with you first."_ Diana told him, glancing over at Peter.

" _Tell me where my wife is!"_  Peter ordered him.

" _I don't know anything! I didn't kidnap anybody!"_ Rietcheck denied.

" _Well, hell! Why didn't you just say so in the first place? You're free to go now!"_  Peter retorted.

Rietcheck attempted to stand up, but Diana forced him back to his seat.  _"He was being sarcastic, you idiot!"_  she said.

" _I want a lawyer!"_  Rietcheck demanded.  _"I'm not saying anything else without my lawyer present! This is brutality!"_  he protested.

" _I'll show you brutality!"_ Peter tried to reach for him but Diana stopped him. Together, they came out of the interrogation room.

Neal and Jones were waiting for them outside the room. " _Did he say anything?"_  Neal asked. Peter shook his head.

" _What happened?"_  Jones asked.

" _He lawyered up."_  Diana told them.

" _What are we going to do now?"_  Neal asked again.

His question was met with silence. Jones and Diana just remained quiet. They all looked to Peter, who's leaning to the wall his back slowly sliding down to the floor in defeat. Suddenly, Neal heard Alex's voice.

" _I have an idea."_  Alex told him, appearing out of nowhere.  _"I'll take care of this. Just keep them out of that room. Leave Rietcheck to me."_  she said. With that, she disappeared yet again.

Moments later, they all heard loud noises coming from the interrogation room. Crashing sounds, sounds of objects being thrown against the wall, items being dragged to the floor. Then they heard shrieks coming from inside, Rietcheck's voice crying out at the top of his lungs. He was screaming, begging for help.

They tried to enter the interrogation room, but it was locked. As the noise grew louder, Peter and Jones both rammed their shoulders into the door. Once they have barged their way in, they saw the lights were flickering. When the lights finally came back on, they saw that the room was in disarray. Chairs were broken to pieces, tables overturned, there was even a crack on the wall. They found Rietcheck hunched at the back corner, the side of his head was bleeding. The brutal thug was reduced into a sobbing mess, his body shaking uncontrollably.

" _Please...don't let her get me!"_  Rietcheck begged hysterically.  _"I'll tell you everything! Just get her away from me! Please! She'll kill me! It wasn't my idea to kill her...I was just paid to do it!"_  he howled.

Still unsure of what had happened, Peter dragged Rietchek out of the room, followed by Diana and Jones. Neal was left inside, searching for Alex. He found her sitting on the floor in the far corner of the room. She looked exhausted.

" _Alex, you okay?"_  Neal asked.

" _Yeah."_ Alex replied weakly.

" _You did it!"_  Neal said.  _"You scared the hell out of him!"_  he added.

" _I scared the hell INTO him."_  Alex corrected him.  _"You should go. Find Peter's wife. And make sure that bastard pays for everything he's done!"_  she whispered.

Neal saw that Alex was getting blurry. She was fading in and out of Neal's sight.  _"What's wrong?"_  he asked her.

" _I'm wiped out, Caffrey. I feel so weak."_ Alex answered.  _"I think, I'm done."_  she said to him.

Neal stared at her as she became more obscure.  _"I'm losing you, Alex!"_  he told her.

" _Oh, Caffrey...you'll never lose me. You don't have that kind of luck."_  Alex managed to give him a weak smile, before fading away completely. Neal tried to call her back, but she was gone.

* * *

Neal hurriedly headed out the door to follow Peter and the others. He caught up with them as they were getting ready to head for the elevators.

" _Rietcheck talked?"_  Neal asked them

" _Yes. In between ragged sobs, he managed to tell us where El is."_ Peter answered.

The elevator doors opened and they all walked in. Peter looked at Neal.  _"He said that El is in the New York City Marble Cemetery."_  he told him, the sound of dread seeping from his voice.

That was when it hit Neal...when Keller said about Elizabeth joining Kate. That was what he meant. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. Neal quickly turned to Peter.

" _I know exactly where Elizabeth is!"_  Neal told his partner.  _"She's with Kate!"_  he said.

" _I don't get it, Neal."_ Peter replied, as they got out of the building.

Agent Blake had the SUV waiting for them outside and they all stepped inside the vehicle. Neal turned to Blake.  _"We're going to the East Village... 73_ _rd_ _East 2_ _nd_ _Street between First and Second Avenue. Step on it!"_  Neal ordered the young agent.

" _Neal, what do you mean that El is with Kate?"_  Peter asked.

" _When Kate died, what's left of her remains were cremated. The plan was that after my sentence is done, once the anklet comes off, I was supposed to go back to our villa in_ ** _Côte_** ** _d'Azur_** _and scatter her ashes into the waters of the French Riviera._ _But I couldn't bear keeping her urn back at my apartment, so I had them buried inside one of the catacombs in the New York Marble Cemetery."_  Neal revealed to Peter.  _"Somehow, Keller found out! That's what he meant when he talked about Elizabeth joining Kate! She's imprisoned in Kate's tomb!"_  Neal concluded.

Moments later, the vehicle stopped. Agent Blake turned to them.  _"We're here, sir."_  he said.

Blake stayed in the car, while Peter, Diana And Jones got out and followed Neal to the site of Kate's catacomb. Once they got there, they saw that the doors of the underground burial vault was chained and padlocked.

Peter took his gun out of its holster.  _"Stand back!"_  he warned them, before shooting the lock off. He turned to Jones.  _"Call for back-up, notify them about the situation."_  he ordered. He faced Diana.  _"Call for an ambulance. Elizabeth will need it."_  he told her, refusing to accept the alternative. Then, he turned to his partner.  _"Neal, let's go."_  he said, as he handed him a flashlight.

The two went inside and descended down the stairs of the catacomb, shining the light down the steps. They adjusted their eyes to the partial darkness, and searched for Elizabeth.

" _ELIZABETH?"_  Peter called out, but there was no answer.

" _Peter, look!"_  Neal said, as he pointed to the figure laying on the cold, hard ground.

" _El!"_  Peter yelled, as he and Neal both ran towards her.

Peter knelt down next to her and cradled her body in his arms. He removed the gag on her mouth, while Neal untied the ropes that bound her hands and feet. Peter tapped her gently on the cheeks to wake her up.

" _Come on , hon! Open your eyes for me, please!"_  Peter begged. But Elizabeth remained still. Peter reached for her neck to check for a pulse, but couldn't find any. He put his ears to her chest and found that she wasn't breathing. He looked to Neal with fear in his eyes.  _"She's not breathing, Neal!"_  he told him, his voice clearly panicked.

" _Peter, focus! We can still help her."_ Neal told him. Peter nodded and they proceed to do CPR.

Neal placed the heel of his palms in the middle of Elizabeth's chest, then put his other hand on top, fingers interlaced, and began to do chest compressions. Afterwards, Peter tilted his wife's head and lifted her chin to open up her airways. Then, he pinched her nose, sealed her mouth with his and began to breath air into her. They repeated this continuously, with hopes to bring Elizabeth back, but she remained unresponsive. Peter and Neal were beginning to lose hope. Until finally, Elizabeth gasped for air.

She slowly opened her eyes and found her husband staring back at her.  _"Peter?"_  Elizabethwhispered.

" _Yes! I'm here, hon!"_  Peter answered.  _"You're safe now!"_ he reassured her.

" _I knew you'd come for me."_  she said weakly.

It was then that the paramedics arrived. They came down the steps with their equipment. They proceeded to help Elizabeth and carried her out of the catacomb in a stretcher. Peter followed closely behind. Neal stayed for a moment and looked at Kate's urn.

Neal went closer and touched the urn gently.  _"Kate..."_  he spoke.  _"Forgive_ _me."_  he said. He then heard Peter's voice calling for him. He gave Kate's urn one final look, then turned and walked away to join the rest.

* * *

At the hospital, the doctor and nurses worked to treat Elizabeth. She had bumps and bruises all over her body and suffered from the lack of oxygen. She was also feverish and extremely dehydrated. The doctor told them that she was lucky she was rescued on time. Had she stayed in that underground vault a bit longer, she never would have survived.

Peter entered Elizabeth's room, closely followed by Neal. Peter stood by his wife's bedside, brushing his thumb to her cheek. Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. She smiled at him weakly, as she slowly sat up.

" _My hero."_  she said.

" _I missed you, hon."_  Peter told her, as he leaned in for a kiss.

Neal observed the couple, and felt as if he was intruding. He cleared his throat before he spoke.  _"I'll leave the two of you alone."_  he said. He turned to look at Peter's wife.  _"I'm glad that you're alright, Elizabeth."_  he told her.

" _Neal, wait."_  Elizabeth called him back.  _"I know you were there too, when I was rescued. Thank you very much."_  she said.

" _It was the least I could do."_  Neal replied.

Peter leaned and kissed her on the forehead.  _"I thought I lost you, hon."_  he revealed.

" _For a brief moment there, you did."_  she replied. Elizabeth looked into her husband's eyes.  _"I'm pretty sure that I died, hon."_  she told him.  _"I remember walking through his long, dark hallway. Then, out of nowhere, this woman appeared. She told me that I was going the wrong way."_  she stated. She stared at Peter again.  _"She was the one who sent me back to you."_  she told him.

" _Did you know her?"_  Peter asked. Elizabeth shook her head.  _"What did she look like?"_ he asked again.

" _She was beautiful. She had strong features. She had long, dark brown hair, big brown eyes, olive skin. She was wearing these big, black boots that stood out in a crowd, and her necklace...she had a beautiful multi-layered silver necklace on."_  Elizabeth described the woman.

 _Alex._  Neal thought to himself.  _It had to be Alex._

" _And you've never seen her before?"_  Peter asked his wife. Again, Elizabeth shook her head.  _"Must have been your guardian angel."_  Peter told her. He turned to look at Neal.  _"You're awfully quiet."_ he noticed.

Neal looked at the two of them. _"Just thinking about what a friend of mine said recently."_  he told the couple.  _"Look, Peter. This was all my fault. I was the one who brought Keller into your lives. Elizabeth's life would have never been_ _in danger if it weren't for me...and not once did I hear you blame me."_  he told his partner.  _"I can't do anything to change what has already happened. I guess what I'm trying to say is..."_  he said, as he lifted his head to meet both Peter and Elizabeth's eyes.  _"I'm sorry for my part in all of this. I am deeply sorry for all the pain that I caused the both of you."_ Neal apologized.

Elizabeth looked at his eyes, and saw that his apology came from he heart.  _"Neal, we knew who you were when we accepted you into our lives. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me or Peter. There's nothing to forgive."_  she told him.

" _Elizabeth, I don't need another pass, or people making excuses for me. Intentional or not, you did get hurt because of something I have done. Whether it was in the past or not doesn't matter."_  Neal said.

It was Peter who spoke.  _"Yes, Neal, you're right. And quite frankly, I don't know how I could have faced you if anything bad had happened to El. But you did your best to help. And I saw your anguish...you suffered with me too. I can't_ _fault you for that. I forgive you, Caffrey."_  Peter told him as he extended out his hand.

Neal took Peter's hand and shook it.  _"Thank you."_  he said. He looked at the couple.  _"I'll leave you two alone now."_  he told them, before turning around and exiting the room.

" _I'll be right back, okay?"_  Peter told his wife before exiting the room as well.

* * *

" _Neal!"_ Peter called him back.  _"Wait up."_  he said, running after him.

Neal turned around to face him.  _"What is it?"_  he asked.

" _About what happened earlier."_  Peter began.  _"I didn't tell you...about Rietcheck's confession. He said that he worked along side Julian Larssen. That he was the guy that Adler paid to blow up the plane that Kate was in."_  he revealed.  _"Somehow, you knew, didn't you?"_  he asked him.  _"That's why you wouldn't_ _stop pummeling Rietcheck's face with your fists. I saw it in your eyes, you wanted to kill the man. You knew he killed Kate."_  Peter surmised.

Neal just remained silent. Peter continued to talk.  _"Now, I don't know the connection between Adler and Keller, but my guess is that Keller already knew about the treasure even before we baited him to it. Rietcheck is our link to him. I will find out the truth, Neal. I will track Keller down...and I will make him pay for everything that he has done."_  Peter vowed to him.

Neal let all of the revelation sink in. He didn't know what to think. All he could think about was Rietcheck. How that man was responsible for the death of Kate. How he killed Alex. How he almost killed Elizabeth. It seems that the women in Neal's life, the women who were important to him...Kate, Alex, and Elizabeth...Rietcheck was paid to make sure that they all suffered by his hands. Hired by Adler, and then by Keller...two of the most ruthless people that Neal knew.

Neal looked at Peter, and he saw the determination in his eyes. That determination could prove to be dangerous, considering that Keller is involved. Keller already proved on more than one occasion that he was not above killing anyone. Pursuing him might not be in anybody's best interests.  _"You should go back to your wife, Peter. She needs you. Keep her close to you. Hold her...never let her go."_  Neal made him realize. With that, he turned around and walked away to head back to his empty apartment.

* * *

~ **END OF CHAPTER TWO** ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER TWO FOOTNOTES :
> 
> *The song that Mozzie and Alex were singing was 'Angel of the Morning' by Juice Newton. All rights belong to Chip Taylor.
> 
> *The song from the park was 'Fico Assim Sem Você' by Adriana Calcanhotto. All rights belong to Abdullah / Cacá Moraes.
> 
> *The New York City Marble Cemetery is a historical site and does not allow any burials. Wrote that for dramatic purposes.
> 
> *I wrote this under the assumption that Elizabeth has no idea what Alex looks like.
> 
> *Keller is just one of those baddies who keeps getting away.
> 
> *Thank you for taking time to read this chapter. If you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.


	3. EPILOGUE

 

* * *

"... _When you're gone_

 _The pieces of my heart are missing you._

 _When you're gone,_

 _The face I came to know is missing too."_

 _When you're gone,_

 _The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

 _And make it okay_

 _I miss you..."_

The radio played the song that best described what was inside Neal's heart. Neal listened to the sad music which mirrored that feeling of longing he had. It continued to play, as if taunting him. Finally, he stood up and turned the radio off.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, at least on the exterior. Nice, warm, sunny day in New York City. It had been three days since Elizabeth was rescued. Peter had taken some time off to be with her. Neal have been considerate enough to give them their space. He didn't want to intrude since the couple needs this time to be together, after the ordeal they have been put through.

 _All is well...everything should go back to normal soon._  Neal thought.  _Normal...yeah, right!_  he muttered.

Sure, Elizabeth was safe. Neal was back on Peter's good graces. Mozzie's wasn't angry with him anymore. In the hierarchy of pain and suffering, Neal really shouldn't be complaining. He should be happy. But he wasn't. There was something lacking...or someone missing, rather. Someone who he didn't realize that he missed, until he lost her.

Neal looked around his empty apartment. He had been alone for the past three days. Mozzie had been under the radar. He tried calling his old friend, but he hasn't been answering. Neal merely presumed that he must still be busy moving back in. But more importantly, Neal hasn't seen or heard from Alex either. Not since she disappeared from his sight after she petrified Rietcheck into a confession. He couldn't feel her presence anymore. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Neal had a gut feeling that she has 'moved on'.

Neal needed to make sure though. He sat back on the bed, his eyes closed, took a deep breath, and waited for the familiar scent of white gardenias...it never came. He opened his eyes, sighed and shook his head. He knew that he couldn't keep Alex forever. He knew that she needed to leave sooner or later...and yet, he was frustrated that she wasn't there anymore. There were just too many things left unfinished between them. He didn't have a chance to say 'thank you'. He didn't have a chance to say 'goodbye'. But most of all, he didn't have a chance to say 'sorry'. Too many things left unsaid...undone.

" _Alex?"_  Neal called her. He waited, but there was no answer.  _"Come on, answer me, please."_  he pleaded.  _"This can't be it. I didn't even get to say a_ _proper goodbye. You just disappeared."_  he continued.  _"I still need to apologize_ _to you. If anything, you should at least come back for that."_  he said. Again, he was met with silence.  _"You told me that I won't lose you! You said that I don't have that kind of luck! LIAR!"_ he shouted, starting to get angry.

" _I don't want you to go! I want you to stay! Right here...with me! There...I said it!"_  he confessed.  _"I know, it sounds selfish...but I miss you when you're gone. I miss you, Alex. Come back to me."_ Neal begged.  _"I need you back, Alex"_  he said, this time in a whisper. Once again, no one answered him. Exasperated, Neal stood up and proceeded to get ready to go out.

* * *

Once he was downstairs, Neal saw June. She was out in the veranda, sitting down as she sipped her morning coffee. She looked up and saw him, and she gave him her warmest smile. Neal soon joined her, taking the seat next to her.

" _Neal! Good morning, dear."_  June greeted him.

" _Good morning."_  Neal replied.

" _Have you heard from Peter and Elizabeth?"_ she asked.

" _Yes. Elizabeth is back at home, recuperating. Peter is tending to her."_  Neal told her of the news.

" _That's good to hear."_  June said.  _"Please tell them that I would like to invite them over for dinner, once she's up for it."_  she stated, pouring him a cup of his favourite Italian roast.

" _I will."_  Neal assured her. He continued to observe her, as he drank his coffee. The generous lady who had been kind enough to take him in, never asking for anything in return other than friendship. Neal admired her not only for her strength, but for her heart.

June noticed that Neal was looking at her.  _"What is it, dear?"_  she asked.

" _Don't you ever get lonely?"_  Neal asked her pointblank.  _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"_  he said.

" _It's quite alright."_  June replied.  _"I am happy. I have my health. I have my family. I have my friends."_  she answered.  _"I have no complaints in my life."_ she told him, looking in his eyes.  _"But yes...every once in a while, I do get lonely. Especially when I remember my life with Byron."_  she revealed.

" _You really loved him very much, didn't you? The two of you...you must have been quite a pair back then."_  Neal said.

" _Oh, the stories I could tell you!"_  June laughed.  _"What was that old adage...'Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future'."_  she told him.

" _Oscar Wilde."_  Neal replied.

" _Yes. That just perfectly described my life with my Byron. The moment we first met, Byron and I, we were immediately drawn to each other. It wasn't love at first sight...but once our eyes met, it was as if our souls recognized one another. Like our spirits were kindred."_  she told Neal.

Neal just sat there and listened to her story. He looked at her, as she smiled, as if caught inside a fond memory. After a brief pause, she spoke again.  _"You see, Neal, I was quite a handful back then. And Byron, as you already know, wasn't exactly a saint. And yet, as flawed and imperfect as we both were, we didn't care. We belonged to each other. I was his...and he was mine."_  June told him, her eyes starting to well up with tears.

Neal offered her his handkerchief to wipe her tears. She continued her story.  _"I was at my happiest when I was with Byron. The life we made with each other was less conventional than most, but it was ours. And we made sure that each day counted...nothing wasted, no regrets."_  she said.  _"Still, nothing prepared me for the day that I lost him. I still felt that we weren't given enough time, even after decades of spending our lives together."_  June looked him in the eye.  _"Not a day goes by that I don't miss my Byron. You see, my dear...the people we let into our lives, they stay with us forever. The ones we care about the most, however unexpected, they leave an indelible mark...not only in our minds, but also in our hearts. And that's where we keep them, even if they don't stay in our lives. Those fond memories are all that we have to hold onto...until we meet them again."_  she told him.

Neal took her hand and planted a a kiss on her palm.  _"Thank you, June, for sharing that with me._ " he told her, the sorrow was clear in his eyes. With that stood up and proceeded to leave.

June closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She caught a whiff of a familiar fragrance, as the smell of nutmeg and sandalwood filled her senses. The smell of Byron's old aftershave. She sighed and opened her eyes.  _"Oh, Byron."_  she said.  _"I do worry about that boy sometimes."_  she whispered, as she followed Neal's retreating form with her eyes with a glance of sadness.

* * *

Neal walked out of the mansion with a heavy heart. The truth was, Neal have seen the similarities between Alex and June. And June and Byron's relationship bear an odd resemblance to his relationship with Alex. Only Byron immediately recognized and treasured what he had with June. Neal, on the other hand, well, his brain took a while to catch up with his heart.

 _She'll never know...I never told her._  Neal thought, shaking his head.

After hearing June and Byron's story, Neal realized what he could have had with Alex. They life they could have shared. What they could have been together. Only he realized it when it was already too late. June and Byron's life was filled with reverence and cherished moments. His life with Alex was filled with disregard and missed opportunities. Byron made June the most important person in his life...all Neal ever did was take Alex for granted. And now, he'll never have a second chance. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Alex did give him one chance after another, only Neal just kept wasting it.

To brighten up his disheartened mood, Neal decided to visit Mozzie at his place. It may have been too late to make amends with Alex, but he sure wasn't going to make the same mistake with his other friend. Neal found him inside, talking on the phone, while packing a small travel bag in a hurry.

" _No, I want the soonest possible flight you have!"_ Mozzie said on the phone.  _"I don't care! Put me in the cockpit, I'll fly the plane myself! Just get me on that flight!"_  he said, before hanging up.

Neal gave him a puzzled look.  _"Leaving town, Moz?"_  he asked his friend.  _"I already told you, no charges will be pressed against you."_  he said.

" _I was going to call you."_  Mozzie replied.  _"I have some news."_  he said.  _"You see, ever since you told me that Rietcheck was linked to Adler, I couldn't stop_ _thinking about it. I've been busy the past few days. I cashed in a few markers in exchange for some information. So far, I was able to retrace Alex's steps since we last saw her...alive."_  he said, while he continued to pack.

" _What are you saying, Moz?"_  Neal asked, confused.

Mozzie stopped what he was doing and looked at Neal.  _"I'm trying to tell you that I found her, Neal."_  he told him.

" _What?"_  Neal asked.

" _Yes. As I said, I've retraced Alex's steps. One of her aliases came up listed on an international flight the day she left New York after you guys were rescued from Adler. Oh, and guess who else was on that flight?"_  Mozzie asked.

" _Rietcheck."_  Neal answered.

" _Exactly. It seems that Adler paid his lead henchman to follow our Alex, with_ _every intention to kill her."_  Mozzie revealed.  _"Anyway, there are records of them being in the same flight that landed in Porto Alegre, which is in Brazil."_  he added.

" _You're kidding me!"_ Neal said.

" _No, I'm not...Porto Alegre really is in Brazil."_  Mozzie replied.

" _Moz...just continue, please."_  Neal told him.

" _Alright. After even more digging, I found out that Rietcheck followed Alex to a place called Bar Opinião. They later found her body in a dark alley in Cidade Baixa. She was shot multiple times, a few on the chest and one bullet grazed her on the side of her head. Witnesses' description of the shooter fits Rietcheck."_ Mozzie told Neal. _"Since all of the identification she had on her were fake, Alex was listed as a Jane Doe. That's why we didn't hear any news of it."_ he added.

Neal's face went white once he heard the details of Alex's death. He looked at Mozzie and spoke once he found his voice again.  _"So...what are you going to do now?"_ he asked.

" _Well, given your current situation with your electronic leash and all that, I thought I'd volunteer myself to go to Brazil."_  Mozzie replied.

" _You're going to Brazil? And then what? You're just going to demand that they exhume her body so you can bring her back here?"_  Neal asked.  _"That's not_ _gonna be too easy, Moz...not even for you!"_  he said.

Mozzie looked at him with confusion.  _"Huh?"_  he asked.  _"Okay, Neal. During the pacing of this conversation, certain details seem to have gotten lost along the way."_  he said. He looked at Neal and smiled.  _"She's not dead, Neal!"_  he revealed.

" _What do you mean she's not dead?"_  Neal asked.

" _I mean, she's alive!"_ Mozzie answered.

" _Yeah, we've established that! Details, please!"_ Neal told him.

" _Right. I made some calls, and found out which hospital she was brought to. Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. It seems that due to her injuries, she slipped into a persistent vegetative state. Neal, Alex has been in a coma for months, but she's not dead!"_  Mozzie divulged.  _"And here's the kicker...she's awake now! I talked to her doctor...she woke up three days ago!"_  he added.

Neal had to sit down to the chair next to him. His mind was spinning from all the information he just learned.  _Three days._  he thought. It had been three days since the last time he saw the ghost of Alex. Three days since she faded away, back in the FBI interrogation room after scaring Rietcheck. He wasn't sure what happened or how it happened, for that matter...nor does he care. All that's important was that Alex was alive.

 _"Alex is alive!"_  he said, needing to hear himself say it in order to believe it.

" _Yes! Now, I don't know much about her current condition...but she is talking. The doctor told me that she said something, the moment she opened her eyes."_  Mozzie divulged.

" _What did she say?"_  Neal asked.

" _Not exactly a word, but a name. Your name, Neal. She was asking for you."_  Mozzie revealed. _"Boy, is she gonna be disappointed when she sees ME by her bedside."_  he chuckled.

Neal was overwhelmed with happiness. He couldn't hide his delight over the fact that Alex is alive and safe. He was exhilarated over the anticipation of seeing her again...touching her again. There are so many things they needed to discuss...words left unsaid, things left undone. Neal was being given yet another chance, and he vowed not to waste it again. If it were only possible, he would go with Mozzie to Brazil to see her.

" _She'll understand...right?"_  Neal asked.

" _She will. She's Alex...she knows you."_  Mozzie replied.  _"Anyway, I have to go. My flight leaves in less than an hour."_ he told Neal, then picked up his bag and headed towards the door.  _"Tchau!"_ he said.

" _Moz, wait!"_  Neal called him back.

Mozzie turned around to face him.  _"Make it fast!"_  he told him.

" _Just tell her I said..."_  Neal let his voice trail off.

" _Tell her you said what?"_  Mozzie asked.

" _Never mind."_  Neal answered.  _"I'll tell her myself...once she's home."_  he smiled as he stared Mozzie in the eye.  _"Bring her home, Moz. Bring her back to me."_  he told his friend.

" _I will, mon frère...I promise!"_  Mozzie replied. With that, he turned around, and left for the airport.

* * *

~ **FINI** ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EPILOGUE FOOTNOTES :
> 
> *The song "When You're Gone" by Avril Lavigne. All rights belong to Butch Walker and Avril Lavigne.
> 
> *I know, I know, the whole cliché comatose state/astral projection twist was such a convenient trope to use, but I couldn't bring myself to really 'KILL" Alex. What kind of ending would that make?
> 
> *Couldn't resist finishing this story without June (and Byron...and his nutmeg and sandalwood aftershave).
> 
> *Like it was said before, not everyone can be Peter and Elizabeth Burke. Maybe Neal needs a 'June' and not an 'El'. What? I'm a NeAlex fan!
> 
> *Thank you for taking time to read my first ever (and quite possibly my last) supernatural-ish fic. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to leave a comment.

**Author's Note:**

> CHAPTER ONE FOOTNOTES:
> 
> *Like I said, I thought it'd be a good change to switch it up a bit.
> 
> *Been wondering where Alex has been all this time. It's like she just vanished from the story after the the S2 finale. It seemed unlikely since she spent her life looking for that treasure, so I wrote my take on what happened afterwards.
> 
> *I tried as much as possible to make this an ensemble piece, so I included almost everyone. If the characters seems too OOC, I apologize.
> 
> *Ghost references are fictional. However, that ghost in the F-train was inspired by that poltergeist from the film, "Ghost".
> 
> *Thank you for taking time to read this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and it enticed you to read the next one.
> 
> *Originally published 10/20/2011 in Fanfiction.Net


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